04/24/24
June 14, 2012
Mets Considering Fan Section for Autistic Kids: The New York Mets are surveying fans about the possibility of offering a section of Citi Field for autistic children and their families. The team asks in a survey, "The Mets are considering adding a designated ‘quiet’ seating section with lower volume PA announcements and no music or cheerleading. How likely would you be to purchase tickets in that section?"
Hasn't Yankee Stadium already reserved huge swathes of the best seats so people can be free of distraction?
posted by yerfatma at 07:48 PM on June 14, 2012
My problem is it may become one group, then another disabled group asks, and another group. Wheelchair-bound fans are one thing; clubs need an area for those.
posted by jjzucal at 07:50 PM on June 14, 2012
Clubs need paying butts in seats. The Mets are averaging 27.5k fans per home game, around 2/3rds of their capacity. And this is while they've been surprisingly competitive in the NL East.
If they can make it easier for folks with special needs to come and enjoy a live game simply by consolidating some empty seats and providing a little extra service, I'm not sure why anyone would think that a negative thing. It's not like there's a Quantity Theory of Enjoyment of Games.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:08 PM on June 14, 2012
My Aspergers son never liked going to the football with me because he didn't like the crowd and PA noise.
/Even though we went to watch Sydney FC. Boom tish, professional comedy.
But seriously, great idea.
posted by owlhouse at 08:58 PM on June 14, 2012
My problem is it may become one group, then another disabled group asks, and another group.
So?
Seriously, what's the problem here? The Mets want to set aside an area that doesn't have loud PA announcements and music and cheerleading (as bperk and I think of it, heaven). What's the inconvenience to anyone else? Hell, what's the cost, outside of a few signs? They're not asking whether people want to have entire no-talking days at the park. What other disabilities are going to ruin your day at the park or drive up ticket prices?
posted by Etrigan at 09:22 PM on June 14, 2012
What's the inconvenience to anyone else?
You let one disadvantaged group have their section in the second deck of left field, then another group will want one, then another, and before you know it only 96.5 percent of Citi Field is available to everyone else.
posted by rcade at 09:32 PM on June 14, 2012
It's a slippery slope out there in the far reaches of the second deck.
posted by Mookieproof at 09:44 PM on June 14, 2012
Soon they'll have people thinking that high-volume PA announcements and music and cheerleading aren't integral parts of baseball.
posted by Mookieproof at 09:57 PM on June 14, 2012
My problem is it may become one group, then another disabled group asks, and another group.
So why is that your problem?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:02 PM on June 14, 2012
It's not like there's a Quantity Theory of Enjoyment of Games.
I think if you say that three times whilst looking in the mirror, grum appears with such a theory. I've only heard that story around campfires though, so who knows if it's really true.
*sound of nails creeping along a chalkboard*
posted by NoMich at 10:04 PM on June 14, 2012
It's a slippery slope out there in the far reaches of the second deck.
Bullshit. At $9.00 a beer, no one is spilling. And if they do, problem drinkers like me are collecting it.
posted by yerfatma at 10:10 PM on June 14, 2012
I just ran this idea past my wife, a special needs teacher in a class that specializes in high-functioning autistic children, and she thinks the Mets are really on to something. She tells me that "her" kids typically have sensory issues, loud noises being one of their greater problems. Flickering lights are another, but that probably wouldn't be happening at a stadium.
posted by Howard_T at 10:38 PM on June 14, 2012
Soon they'll have people thinking that high-volume PA announcements and music and cheerleading aren't integral parts of baseball.
Don't tease me like that.
I think if you say that three times whilst looking in the mirror, grum appears with such a theory.
I've morphed from a stats imp that magically appears in a puff of smoke into the Candyman?!
posted by grum@work at 12:46 AM on June 15, 2012
That's great of the Mets to do that, but those sound like seats I'd want to sit in, too.